EDITORIAL:

Pardon us if we don’t feel too much of a sense of urgency about the “controversial” sail that is part of Newport Beach’s proposed new City Hall design.

Some of the planned City Hall’s neighbors alerted the City Council this past week to do something about the oversized, light-catching sail that would sit atop the building and block the ocean views of some. The Bohlin Cywinski Jackson architectural firm, which produced the design, is the top contender for the job after a national competition. The designers evidently wanted the new municipal meeting place to echo the city’s personality, and nothing says Newport Beach more than sailing.

Problem is the design sort of violates the city’s view-plane ordinance adopted in the ’70s. Technically it’s OK because it doesn’t cover architectural features such as the sail. But, and there’s always a but....

“The spirit of the ordinance was to continuously protect those views,” Harbor View Hills resident Denise Woltemath told the council. “I urge you to stay consistent with that ordinance and the spirit of that ordinance.”

We’re sure some sort of agreeable compromise will be worked out. At least we hope so.

But consider as Thanksgiving approaches, Newport Beach, how fortunate you are that you have the time to worry about such things when Costa Mesa this past week was talking about slashing about $8.4 million from the budget. Costa Mesa officials considered not filling job vacancies while delaying street and park improvement projects. Even the police officers and firefighters will probably have to wait for new vehicles.

Meanwhile, Newport Beach-based Downey Financial Corp. continues to apparently circle the drain. If the mortgage lender fails to raise more cash by year’s end, federal regulators will seize it.

The cratering economy has our federal lawmakers debating whether to prop up GM or let it fail and cost the country more than a million jobs, but over in Newport Beach officials have the luxury of debating a sail on their new headquarters. Let’s hope that’s all they have to worry about.